


Ocean Girls

by charlsiecf



Category: Disney - All Media Types, Lilo & Stitch (2002), The Little Mermaid (1989)
Genre: F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-21
Updated: 2016-04-17
Packaged: 2018-05-08 03:49:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5482262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charlsiecf/pseuds/charlsiecf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Disney Lesbians</p><p>Ariel finds a young human above the surface that seems to love the ocean almost as much as Ariel loves her</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Discovery

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a tumblr post and the tags the creator, simonbaz put on it. I’ll come up with a better name later. But this is the first of many chapters and I’m really excited to keep writing this! (also please note that this was done in one hour at the airport and has yet to be edited, so if you have any notes to improve it, please send me a message)  
> Enjoy your Disney lesbians.

Ariel knew she shouldn’t go to the surface. Her father had mentioned it enough that even a sea snail could get that ingrained in its memory, but no matter how much Triton nagged her, Ariel’s curiosity was never quenched. She had to know what was up there and no matter how many times she visited, there was always more to discover and she intended on discovering it all. On this day, Ariel found herself participating in her favorite hobby; exploring with Flounder and the day had begun like most of her days.

“Ariel, I really don’t think we should be here.” Flounder was shaking at the thought of Ariel and himself getting hurt.

“But Flounder,” Ariel retorted, “We haven’t been to this part of the ocean yet and I have to know what’s out here!” With a dash, she was swimming away from the trembling, frustrated fish.

“But-but-but-” Flounder wracked his mind for something that could bring the mermaid to her senses, but after a moment of failed attempts, he realized that her determination could never be stopped. With a sigh, Flounder followed the mass of red hair in front of him, grumbling to himself.

The pair continued to swim forward, chatting between them, but not seeing much of anything within the large expanse of water. That was until-

“Is that land?” Flounder noticed.

“There’s not supposed to be land out here. Father’s maps say that there’s nothing but ocean for a long way,” Ariel replied, equally confused, trying to wrap her head around the situation.

“Did we get lost? Are we going to be able to get back? What if we’re lost forever? Ariel what if-”

“Flounder!” Ariel yelped as she stopped suddenly. 

“What?! What?!” Flounder screamed swimming quickly in circles trying to figure out what the redhead had seen. 

Ariel grabbed the yellow fish and moved his body until his head faced the surface directly above them. The pair both looked up to see a strange silhouette against the light-filled surface. 

“Sh-sh-SHAAAAARRRRRRKKKK” Flounder screamed before Ariel promptly covered his mouth with her hand in order to keep him quiet.

“Shhhhh. I don’t think so.” Ariel said quietly. “It’s…different.”

Flounder wrestled himself from Ariel’s grip and whispered, “It still has to be dangerous. Let’s get out of here!” He then turned tail and began to swim away, only to find that the Mermaid wasn’t following him. He turned toward her and pleaded “Ariel!” but deep down he knew the next words that would come from her mouth.

Ariel’s face lit up with a mischievous smile. “I’m gonna check it out!” With a whip of her tail, she headed upwards toward the surface.

With a sigh of defeat, Flounder followed.

\----------

Ariel got a closer look at the silhouette as she swam. It was a strange and unusual shape that she had never seen before. It seemed almost shark-like except there was no tail or fins to speak of and it seemed to be floating on the surface of the water. Ariel was fascinated and had to know what this mystery silhouette was.  
In a quick moment of caution, Ariel swam a few meters away from the object just in case Flounder was right and it was dangerous. When Ariel’s head breached the surface, she looked around frantically, trying to find the mystery object. And then there it was.

There she was.

The mystery silhouette hadn’t been the whole story at all. What Ariel saw was a girl.  
The girl was sitting on a long, flat board of some kind, clearly the shape Ariel had seen from the water, but she was beautiful. Her brown skin and long, black hair were glistening from the sea water surrounding her. She seemed to be at home there, in the ocean. Her eyes closed, head tilted forward, taking in the sunlight. Ariel couldn’t take her eyes off of her.

Until Flounder arrived, that is. He emerged in front of her line of vision. “Ariel. You have to wait for me. I can’t swim as fast as you and-”

“Shhhhh! Flounder. Look.” Ariel whispered as she pointed towards the girl.

Flounder turned to look where Ariel was pointing. He let out a huge gasp before quieting himself once more. “Ariel!” he whispered aggressively, “that’s a human!”

“Yes. I know. I think the legs kind of gave it away,” she whispered in return. “But look at her.” Ariel once again gazed upon the girl. “Isn’t she beautiful?”

Flounder didn’t respond and instead, allowed Ariel a few more moments to look.

Suddenly, an unfamiliar, voice rang out from the beach.

“Nani!” The girl on the board snapped her eyes open and whipped her head around to look at where the voice resounded from. Ariel and Flounder immediately ducked their heads further underwater so that only their eyes were visible. They too, looked towards the land.

A small girl in a red dress was at the edge of the beach where land met ocean calling out. “Nani! It’s eleven thirty!”

“Oh no!” the girl on the board flattened herself onto it and swam as fast as she could to the beach. “Lilo, we’re going to miss your hula lesson! Why didn’t you warn me earlier…” The rest couldn’t be heard as they ran down the beach and into the trees, out of sight.

Ariel and Flounder took a moment to reflect on what had just happened. Then Ariel revealed a smile. “Nani,” she said softly. “That’s a pretty name”

Flounder simply rolled his eyes and said “let’s get back home before your dad finds out we were here,” and for once, Ariel didn’t protest. She was too busy thinking about Nani.


	2. Entranced

For days, Ariel couldn’t stop thinking about Nani. Her sisters were convinced that her strange behavior was because she had a crush on a nice merman and they often tried to guess who it was, but only Flounder knew the truth. Ariel was in love with a human. 

One day, Ariel was alone in her grotto, re-categorizing her collection of human things. She then caught sight of the dinglehopper that she had found not long ago. Her seagull friend, Skuttle, had told her that this strange device was used by humans to style their hair. Seeing this item instantly made Ariel think of Nani and her beautiful, glistening, long, black hair. 

Ariel couldn’t wait to see Nani any longer. She couldn’t even wait to get ahold of Flounder. Ariel just knew that she had to see her again, so she took the long swim back to the shore she had visited just a few days earlier, hoping that Nani would have returned.

Sure enough, when Ariel arrived to the wake by the sandy shore, there was Nani. She was once again, sitting on the same board. Ariel let out a relieved and contented sigh, happy to see that the girl she had fallen for was not just a figment of her imagination. 

Nani’s black hair was just as beautiful as Ariel remembered it. It was so beautiful that Ariel wanted, more than anything, to reach out and touch it. Her brown skin was again, glistening from the ocean waters and Ariel was entranced. Her face, however, was not smiling at the sky like it had been before. 

Nani was looking into the expansive ocean in front of her, eyes filled with fiery passion that Ariel had seen in very few eyes before. Nani was intensely searching for something. But what? 

Suddenly the smooth waves surrounding Ariel became rougher and fiercer. Ariel wasn’t too worried about herself, she had dealt with waves and currents of this strength before, but she was terrified for Nani. Ariel knew that a human couldn’t possibly swim in waves like that. They had no flippers to propel them away. Ariel looked toward Nani expecting to see a terrified girl paddling towards shore, but she saw exactly the opposite.

Nani’s eyes filled with even more fire than before and her perfect lips turned to a smirk like she had just accepted a challenge. She flattened herself onto the board she was sitting on and began to paddle towards the waves.

Ariel had no idea what Nani could possibly be thinking. She would surely drown in these kinds of waters. Ariel began to swim towards her, eyes still barely above the surface. If Nani were to slip off of that board, Ariel knew she would have to dive in save her. She could see a huge wave approaching, but before Ariel got too close, Nani surprised her yet again.

Nani paddled herself with the current to meet the wave and just as it was beginning to break, Nani used her strong-looking legs to push herself upwards and she stood on the board, riding the wave. Ariel was shocked and mesmerized. She had never known that such a thing was even possible, but there it was in front of her. The girl of her dreams was gliding on water.

Nani seemed completely calm and focused. She clearly knew exactly what she was doing. She even outstretched a hand and stroked the water of the wave she was riding. Nani was one with the wave, one with the surf, and one with the ocean. They moved together in seamless harmony like two halves of the same whole.

As quickly as it had started, the wave broke completely forming nothing but seafoam and Nani rode her board toward shore and slowly sat onto the board. Ariel was sad to see the experience was so short-lived, but Nani seemed thrilled.

She tossed her hair back and screamed a triumphant “Yes!” and she threw her fist into the air. Her eyes closed with happiness and she flashed a victorious smile as she let out a few uninhibited laughs of joy. Her delight was so strong that Ariel couldn’t help but be infected by it as well, letting a wide smile grow onto her face as she gazed at the beautiful girl before her.

Nani ran her fingers through her hair as she took some deep breaths, coming down from the high. Ariel watched the girl, completely entranced. She loved to see every movement that Nani made. From her fingertips to her toes, everything that Nani did was beautiful. Ariel felt like she was living in a beautiful dream. 

She only snapped out of it when it was too late.

The two girls were looking straight at each other, eyes locked.

Nani’s expression had changed on a dime. Her face had fallen and her eyes were wide, obviously startled to see Ariel.

Every muscle in Ariel’s body stiffened instantly. A million thoughts were running through her head, and yet, her mind was completely blank. 

The two sat there in several seconds of shocked silence, both of then not daring to move a single muscle. 

After a brief moment, Ariel gained her wits back. She quickly tore herself away from Nani's glimmering brown eyes, and dived beneath the surface and away from the human girl, her tail flipping above the surface as she dove. She knew that her father would kill her if he knew that she was above the surface, let alone let herself be seen by a human. She swam as fast as she possibly could away from the land and back into the deep sea.

Flounder was never going to believe it when she told him what she saw that day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You never know exactly how little you know about surfing until you have to write a description of it in a fanfiction. 
> 
> If there's anything you would describe better about it, please let me know.  
> Also if you think that there's anything I can improve about anything in the story at all, please let me know. I love to hear feedback.


	3. Unsure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit shorter than the last few. I wanted to add a little context to the story, so that is the main purpose of this chapter.  
> As always, if you have any notes of improvement, please let me know!

“David, I swear. She was real!”

“Riiiiight,” smirked Nani’s best friend. “You were out surfing and you saw a mermaid.” 

Nani was sitting on the couch in the living room of her house with her best friend, David. The sun was just beginning to set on another day and Nani had just finished recounting the story of what she had seen just hours a few hours ago.

“I did!” Nani was desperately trying to convince him to believe her. “I rode this great wave and when it died down, there she was, watching me!”

“Are you sure you didn’t wipe out on that wave and hit your head?” David replied, clearly not believing Nani’s story. “This story does sound a bit lolo.”

Nani was beginning to get frustrated. “David, I live with three aliens from outer space!” She motioned to the attic -where the resident aliens happened to be at that very moment- for emphasis. “How are mermaids that much of a stretch?”

David shook his head slowly making a Tsk noise. “Nani, you have always loved mermaids. For as long as I’ve known you, you have absolutely adored mermaids, but it’s still just too hard to believe.”

“Nonono. David, I am telling you. She was real! A real mermaid!” 

When those words escaped her lips, she realized exactly how crazy she sounded. Nani had always been the sensible one. The one that tried to keep her feet on the ground, but now she seemed to be spouting gibberish and fantasy. Maybe that mermaid was a figment of her imagination. 

She clearly wasn’t going to be convincing David anytime soon. The surfer’s arms were crossed in determination and finality, an eyebrow cocked in disbelief. Nani decided to give in rather than pursue this impossible argument. She let out a sigh of defeat before dropping the subject and moving on to other topics of conversation. 

At that moment, Nani was unsure of everything she had seen on the beach that day, but she did know one thing for sure. She was going to go back to see if she can find her mermaid again.

\----------

“ARIEL!!!”

Ariel knew that tone of voice all too well. She sheepishly turned from her mirror to face her fuming father. “Yes daddy?” she asked as is innocently as she possibly could.

Triton was swimming back and forth in a pacing motion, giving Ariel’s sisters the opportunity to vacate the area. They knew what was going to happen next and did not want to be there to witness the results.

After a moment, Triton took in a deep breath before beginning his rant. “Ariel, I was just speaking with one of my guards and she told me that she spotted you heading toward the mainland!” His tone was somewhat calm, but Ariel could tell that there was truly a storm brewing within.

“Um…I-”

“You know how dangerous the surface is!” He was beginning to lose his cool. “Even if it was just a small island, you could have been seen! You could have been captured! Humans are dangerous! I know you’re eighteen, but you can’t just go gallivanting off searching for trouble!” Triton took a moment to recollect himself. In a much calmer tone that almost seemed to be pleading, he asked “Ariel. What were you doing out there?”

She knew it would be no use to lie and tell him that she was never there in the first place; she had been caught red-handed. 

Part of Ariel wanted to tell him everything. She wanted to tell him that she had been seen by a human and how beautiful she actually was and how she made Ariel feel. She wanted to tell everyone she knew, scream from the reeftops exactly how beautiful and amazing Nani is. But due to the fact that her father seemed to almost literally be boiling with anger, Ariel decided it would probably be best to hold back that part of the story.

“I was…” Ariel quickly thought of something believable, “I was just exploring the area. I had never been there before and was curious. I didn’t see any land on your map, so I didn’t think I was in any danger of being seen by any humans.” It wasn’t a complete lie, it was just excluding a giant piece of information. “I’m sorry Daddy.”

Triton’s rage seemed to melt away, leaving only relief and worry left in his expression. “Ariel.” He took his large hands and gently cupped his daughter’s face. “Please. Be more careful. I don’t know what I would do if you got hurt.”

“I’ll be more careful Daddy.” Ariel embraced her father in a hug. 

After a moment, Triton released himself from the hug, gave Ariel a quick smile and swam out of the room.

Sometimes Ariel forgot how worried her father was about her wellbeing. He knew the risks associated with humans and the world above the surface. But could all humans really be bad? Nani was so beautiful and so joyful, and she loved the sea just as much as any merperson she’d ever met. How could someone so wonderful be bad?

At that moment, Ariel was unsure of everything she should do beyond that point, but she did know one thing for sure. She was going to go back to see if she can find her human again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love parallels! 
> 
> I wanted to use this chapter to set the time a little bit. Ariel is two years older, but it's as if it was at the beginning of her movie. For Nani, this story takes place after her movie.  
> I promise there will be more Nani and Ariel interactions in the next chapter.


	4. Routine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To make up for the shortness of last chapter, this one is super long! Enjoy!

Without realizing it, or even having any kind of communication with each other, Ariel and Nani had created a routine. 

Every day, a few hours before the sun went down, Nani would go to the same beach on the coast of Kauai and catch a few waves. Ariel was never far behind. She arrived at the same time every single day, now cautious of any of her father’s guards that might spot her. At first, she would bring Flounder along with her on these excursions, but he lost interest quickly and didn’t want to risk being caught. So usually, Ariel went alone. She would always watch from a distance away, sometimes behind a rock or hidden within a patch of seaweed. If Nani was late, Ariel would wait for her, but neither of them ever failed to appear.

Each day she visited, she noticed a new, beautiful thing about Nani. Ariel loved the way that her wide nose crinkled and her golden face flushed when she was happy after successfully riding a huge wave. She loved the way that Nani’ stomach had cute little rolls when she sat on her board, and she loved the way Nani worked every single muscle on her body when she surfed (a term Ariel had learned from Skuttle). But more than anything, Ariel loved her eyes.

Nani’s beautiful, amazing, brown eyes were the most expressive eyes that Ariel had ever seen. From her passionate gaze when looking to ride a big wave, to her cloudy, distant look when she was sitting on her board, lost in thought, Ariel was enchanted by it all. 

Sometimes when Ariel would visit, Nani wouldn’t be the only one on the beach. On occasion, there would be a few other surfers, clearly seeking the same waves as Nani was. On those days, Ariel would be extra cautious and sometimes even turn back. With many humans in the same place, Ariel knew trouble would follow. Usually Nani seemed to associate minimally with these other humans and kept to herself.

But at other times, Nani was clearly not alone. Sometimes when Nani came to the beach, she would bring others with her. A small, young girl, the same one that Ariel heard on the day she found Nani, a strange, blue animal of some kind, and a boy around her age. They would surf, play games on the beach, play music, but most importantly, they seemed to always be enjoying their time together. These days were the days that Nani seemed the happiest. She had a family around her. 

These were also the days that Ariel felt the loneliest. Nani seemed so happy to be around her family and Ariel couldn’t help but to think that there wasn’t any room in Nani’s life for one more.

Ariel tried to shake that thought from her mind. She was a mermaid, and Nani was a human, it could never have worked anyway. But still she wondered. What would it be like if this gorgeous, incredible, masterpiece of a human were to love her back?

As time went on, Ariel’s longing to see Nani closer, to look into those mesmerizing eyes, to run her hands through the thick, luscious hair began to take over her mind. Ariel became less and less cautious around Nani with every day that passed, getting closer and closer to her with every visit.

\----------

Nani’s experience with her and Ariel’s routine was slightly different. 

For one thing, Nani’s actual daily schedule hadn’t changed much at all. She always went surfing at this beach a few hours before sunset. It was right when she got off of work, and the least popular time for tourists to invade on her quiet surf space. She would always go out to clear her head with either some calm floating, or some invigorating surfing before going home to Lilo and the gang. Few things in the world made her happier.

But one of those things was her mermaid. Nani hadn’t mentioned her since her conversation with David after that first fateful encounter because she knew that no one would believe her or take her seriously. But she knew she was there. 

Every single day as she was floating on her board, she would catch a glimpse of the mermaid’s fiery red hair or dazzling green tail. Nani always saw her, but it was rarely more than a glimpse. Every time Nani turned her head to get a better look, the mermaid darted away as fast as light. She obviously didn’t want to be seen. 

But it was clear that she wanted to see Nani. When Nani would visit her beach during any other time of day, there would never be a trace of the mermaid. And if there were other surfers or tourists on the beach during Nani’s usual surf time, the mermaid would be difficult, or even impossible to find. But she was always there every time Nani was by herself and every time she caught a glimpse of her face, the mermaid’s gaze was always locked on Nani.

Once, when Nani was working a little later than usual, and thus, was late to her usual surfing time she could have sworn she heard singing from her beach. As she approached, she heard the most beautiful voice she had ever heard in her entire life. It was more beautiful than the ringing of a bell or the strum of a guitar. Nani could have listened to it four hours on end. But when she stepped foot onto the beach with her board in hand, the singing stopped abruptly with only the sound of a splash from where the music once rang. Nani knew it had to be her mermaid.

Nani, more than anything else in the world, wanted to see this mermaid. To get a real look at her and admire her as much as she seemed to admire Nani. The curiosity was driving her up the wall, but the only thing she could do was surf and hope to catch another glimpse of the majestic creature.

As the days went by, the mermaid became increasingly easy to spot. Nani wasn’t sure if it was because she knew where to look or if the mermaid was starting to let down her guard little by little. Either way, Nani certainly noticed. She would often see the mermaid out of the corner of her eye, but never turned her head to look so as not to scare her off. She enjoyed the company.

From what little she had seen, the mermaid seemed to be incredibly beautiful. She had long, flowing hair as red as the Hawaiian sun at sunrise. A strong, beautiful tail with scales that would put diamonds to shame with their sparkle and sheen. Nani only wished that she could see her beautiful eyes again. She hadn’t gotten a good look at them since the first day she saw her. 

Nani wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but now that she knew she had an audience, she began to show off a bit every time she surfed. As silly as it seemed to even herself, she wanted to impress her mermaid. She would use old tricks that she knew would astound any judge and she even tried to pull off a few new ones that she had never shown to anyone else. 

However, with new tricks, came new wipeouts. Whenever Nani would fall off of her board and off of the wave, she always felt somewhat embarrassed, especially now that she had a spectator. 

After a few days of trying and failing to execute new tricks, Nani noticed something in her peripheral vision. When she had fallen, the mermaid seemed to be significantly closer than she had been before. Nani found this strange and decided to test it again. She found a wave, attempted to ride it, and then intentionally fell off of her board and into the water below. 

Before emerging, she paid close attention to where the mermaid had been before. When she came up for air, sure enough, the mermaid was within a few yards of Nani, but as soon as she was seen, she disappeared beneath the water. 

Nani’s suspicions were proven correct. Every time that she fell, her mermaid swam toward her to rescue her.

This gave Nani an ingenious and completely idiotic idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, please let me know what you thought. I love to hear your thoughts!


	5. Change in the Tides

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. This was an especially difficult chapter to write. But I'm very happy with the result and I hope you are too.

A few weeks after their routine started, the two girls saw a change in the tides.

Earlier that day, Ariel’s father had warned her about restless waters on the borders of the kingdom but Ariel was only half-listening. She knew that nothing could possibly stop her from seeing Nani again today. Nothing ever could.

When she arrived at the beach, Nani was just getting into the water, as per usual. The beach was abandoned and the two of them were alone. 

When Nani was fairly far off shore, she sat on her board and took a quick look around. For a split second, Ariel saw a twinkle in Nani’s eyes as she looked Ariel’s way. Ariel thought that she might have been seen, but as soon as the twinkle appeared, it was gone and Nani was looking straight at the ocean with her usual passion and energy. There seemed to be something else present in Nani’s eyes, but Ariel couldn’t quite place it.

Before too long, the surf began to pick up. It was quite a bit stronger than it had been the past few times that Ariel came to see Nani, but so far, not too strong for Nani to handle. The sky began to grow dark with clouds covering up the usually harsh sun. As time went on, water began to fall from the dark clouds. Ariel had seen rain before, but this seemed to be coming down harder than any rain she had experienced before.

Nani didn’t seem bothered by any of this though. She was surfing like she had on any other day. In fact, she almost seemed more excited due to the increased size of the waves. She was surfing as beautifully as she had ever surfed before, but it wasn’t long before Ariel’s visibility was impeded by the rain. 

The mermaid found herself swimming closer and closer to the Nani as the rain grew stronger so that she could still see the gorgeous girl.

Nani had surfed several waves, but was still on the lookout for more. She seemed more dedicated than ever before. 

Through her years growing up in the ocean, Ariel had grown accustomed to feeling the tides and knowing what they mean. That very moment, she felt the water recede from shore quicker than ever. She knew that it was coming. The big one. The biggest wave she had ever felt.

Everything in her wanted to call out to Nani. To warn her about the incoming danger. But Ariel couldn’t risk being seen. She couldn’t risk the dangers of being discovered by a human, no matter how much she wanted to help.

However, Ariel’s warning didn’t seem to be necessary. Nani also seemed to feel the pull of the incoming wave, but instead of fleeing like Ariel knew she should do, Nani seemed more determined than ever. She immediately flattened herself on her board, and paddled out toward the ocean.

Ariel had seen Nani do some seemingly crazy stunts while she surfed, but nothing as crazy as this. There is nothing that could survive after a wave like this. With fear in her heart, she swam to stop Nani. 

Ariel tried to call out to Nani, but nothing could be heard over the downpour of the rain above her. Ariel was helpless.

As the wave grew Nani rode her board on top of it, and as the wave began to break, she stood. Ariel stopped, just trying to keep her head above the water to keep seeing her. 

Nani rode the wave with elegance and grace, incredibly confident in her ride. She did several tricks along it, leaving Ariel awestruck. The rushing wave soon curled, forming a tube of water which Nani bravely entered, out of Ariel’s sight.

But when the wave finally crashed, nothing had emerged from the curl.

 

Ariel started to panic. Nani always came back up, even when she fell. But after a moment’s wait, after the once great wave crashed onto the shore, completely enveloping the beach, there was still no sign of the surfer girl. 

The mermaid sprang into action. She swam as fast as her tail could carry her to where she had last seen Nani. She was nowhere to be found. Ariel once again swam to the surface and looked around frantically. She couldn’t let Nani die. She just couldn’t. 

“NANI!” Ariel called as loud as she could. “NANI!” There was no response.

Ariel desperately searched along the surface for any sign of the surfer when she saw it. Nani’s surfboard. Ariel rushed to it. The strap that usually connected the surfboard and Nani’s ankle had been disconnected. Leaving only the board and the leash, but no Nani.

Ariel’s first instinct was to swim down, so that’s exactly what she did. She swam down, below the surface frantically looking for the human. 

Then, in one fateful instant, Ariel caught sight of a hand. A hand that belonged to the girl she loved. She immediately grabbed it, bulling the hand at the wrist towards her. Sure enough, the hand was attached to Nani. Her muscles were limp and her eyes were shut, completely unconscious.

Ariel knew she didn’t have much time if she had any time at all. She pulled Nani by the arm with all of her strength to reach the surface. But even when they reached it, Nani didn’t start to breathe.

Shore was the only hope that Ariel had to save Nani. Ariel grabbed her by the waist and pulled her along, making sure to keep her head above water as she rushed.

Ariel pulled Nani’s limp, nearly lifeless body onto the beach, under a palm tree, protecting her from the rain, and put her flat on her back.  
Much to Ariel’s alarm, Nani still didn’t move. 

Ariel had no idea what to do.

“Nani!” Ariel sobbed, desperately shaking Nani’s shoulders. “NANI! Wake up! I can’t lose you! I just can’t! NANI!” Ariel didn’t care if she was seen. The only thing she cared about was keeping Nani alive.

Ariel was helpless. She shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “No,” she whispered. There seemed to be nothing she could do.

 

Suddenly, Nani jerked back to life. Her body lurched forward as she coughed up seawater. She took in a huge gasp of breath and wheezed out a few more coughs before laying back down on the sand. 

Ariel’s heart immediately swelled with joy. Nani was alive! She was really alive! A relieved smile appeared onto her tear-stained face as she made her way to the surfer girl lying on the beach.

Nani’s breathing had almost returned to normal when she opened her eyes, meeting Ariel’s. A gentle smile graced her face as she looked at the mermaid and whispered.  
“I knew you would save me.”

Her eyes then closed and she once again, fell unconscious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, let me know if you have any edits to make. I love to hear your feedback!


	6. Part of Your World

Ariel sat on the beach in shock. A million thoughts ran through her head all at once. She had just been seen by a human. Not only that, but she had just _rescued_ a human. Ariel could barely believe herself and her impulsiveness. 

But every time she glanced back at Nani, the beautiful girl, fast asleep on the sand, Ariel knew she would do it all over again.

Ariel couldn’t help but reach out and brush some of the surfer girl’s glimmering, black hair out of her lovely, peaceful face. For just that moment, the rain around Ariel seemed to fade away. Time stopped, leaving just Ariel and Nani in this moment together. 

Ariel couldn’t help but smile. Nani had known about her all along. Nani was expecting this. Nani wanted to see Ariel as much as Ariel wanted to see Nani. And here she was, next to her. Finally within arm’s reach of the girl that Ariel was so in love with. Ariel’s heart fluttered with joy, and she began to sing.

_“What would I give_  
To live where you are?  
What would I pay  
To stay here beside you?  
What would I do to see you  
Smiling at me? 

_Where would we walk?_  
Where would we run?  
If we could stay all day in the sun?  
Just you and me  
And I could be  
Part of your world” 

As Ariel finished her song, Nani’s lips turned up ever so slightly into a smile. Then, without opening her eyes, she whispered, “Beautiful.”

A bit stunned, not having expected an audience to her song, Ariel blushed. She brushed her own red hair behind her ear and muttered an embarrassed, but flattered “Thanks.”

Once again, Nani opened her eyes to look at Ariel. The mermaid found herself mesmerized in Nani’s glimmering, russet colored eyes. She knew she should dive back into the ocean. Everything she had ever been taught told her that is what she should do, but Ariel couldn’t tear herself away from those gorgeous eyes.

“What’s your name?” Nani whispered.

Ariel hesitated. Should she really identify herself like this to a human? She knew what she _should_ do. She _should_ turn back, return home, and never visit this beach again and hope that it all just goes away. She knew that’s what needed to be done. And yet, even though they had never spoken before this moment, she trusted Nani.

“A-Ariel” she stated softly. “My name is Ariel.”

“Ariel.” Nani repeated in a voice that made Ariel shiver. “I like that.”

Both of the girls smiled at each other in a moment that seemed to last an eternity. They were the only two people in the world. Just Nani and Ariel. Alone on this beach, together.

Seconds later, Ariel’s perfect moment was shattered by a calling voice.

“Nani?”

In an instant, time had restarted, and the rain began to pour as loud and as hard as it had before. It had never actually stopped, it only seemed that way to Ariel. 

“NANI?!” called the voice once more, more distressed than the first time.

Ariel recognized the voice. It was the little girl that Nani went to the beach with every now and then. It was Lilo.

“NANI!” The little girl was screaming as hard as she could to be heard over the crashing waves and the loud downpour of rain. 

She assessed the situation. Nani was safely under the tree and protected from the rain, but too weak to move. Ariel was currently out of Lilo’s sight. Ariel couldn’t afford to be seen by another human, but she had to protect Nani, so Ariel quickly came up with a plan. It was risky, but it was worth a shot.

“LILO!” Ariel called loudly in her general direction. “LILO! COME QUICK!” Ariel tried her best to sound like Nani, herself, but she had no idea if she was actually succeeding.

“Nani?” Lilo’s voice didn’t sound as desperate as it had before, but alert. She had heard Ariel’s call.

“LILO!” Ariel’s voice grew hoarse. She couldn’t keep this up for much longer.

“I’m coming Nani!” Her plan had worked. As she saw Lilo and her strange, blue pet running toward her, Ariel gave Nani one last lingering gaze and retreated into the sea before she could be spotted. She hid behind a rock not too far from shore to keep an eye on her.

Ariel remained behind the rock, carefully and cautiously watching as Lilo and her strange pet approached Nani, and slowly but surely got her back on her feet and walking away from the ocean, further onto land and out of Ariel’s sight.

Ariel remained behind the rock for a moment longer, reflecting on what had just happened. Not only had she rescued Nani, but now she had spoken to her. Now a human knew who she was. Part of Ariel was filled with fear from this thought, but the other part, the larger part, had fallen deeply in love with Nani. Ariel just knew that they had to be together.

Somehow.

 

_"I don't know when_  
I don't know how  
But I know something's starting right now  
Watch and you'll see  
Someday I'll be  
Part of your world" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was so freaking cheesy. I cannot believe.
> 
> As always please let me know what you thought. I love hearing feedback.


	7. Smiles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends, it has been exactly 3 months and I am so sorry.

Even though she was hesitant, Ariel’s heart led her to the beach the very next day, just like it always did. She had no idea what was going to happen now that she had actually spoken to Nani, but she was willing to take the risk to find out. 

As Ariel approached the beach, she could see the silhouette of Nani’s surfboard from below the surface. Without any prior warning, Ariel was suddenly struck with fear. It was fun when she was just watching Nani from afar, but what now? Now she actually had to accept her feelings for the human and figure out what to do from here. With this in mind, Ariel did the thing she knew she had to do.

She hid.

All of the caution that Ariel had thrown to the wind the past few weeks suddenly returned to her demeanor with abandon. She swam as far away from the surfer as she could go without losing sight of her. Even with all of Ariel’s innate curiosity this was the one leap into the unknown that she was utterly terrified of.

When she surfaced, Ariel looked toward Nani, eyes filled with both longing and fear. Nani was sitting on her surfboard, the ocean quiet. Ariel shifted her gaze to her face and noticed something familiar.

Her brown skin and long, black hair were glistening from the sea water surrounding her. She seemed to be at home there, in the ocean. Her eyes closed, head tilted forward, taking in the sunlight. She had a look a pure joy and relaxation on her face.

Ariel realized that this is exactly how she looked when Ariel had seen her for the first time so many weeks ago. Ariel felt as she had the first time she had ever seen Nani. The feeling of wonder and awe washed over her entire body until she was once again locked in a lovesick gaze.

After a moment that Ariel wished had gone on forever, Nani lowered her head away from the sun and towards the open sea. What she did next changed everything.

 

“Ariel?”

 

Ariel’s body froze, every muscle completely petrified. Her eyes widened in shock. Had that really just happened? Did Nani do what Ariel just thought she did?

“Ariel?” Nani called out again. “Ariel are you there?”

Ariel’s body still refused to budge. Her mind had stopped entirely as she stared, open mouthed toward the surfer. She looked toward the beach, but as usual, there was no one there. It was just the two of them. And then, in an act of complete impulse,

She swam towards her.

Ariel swam slowly, still questioning whether she should actually go through with this or not, but still her tail continued to swim as if it had a mind of its own. The closer Ariel got to Nani, the more her mind filled with adrenaline and fear. She was getting closer than she had ever been to a human and that was dangerous.

But this was Nani.

And with that thought, Ariel stopped, closed her eyes, and let all of her doubts fall away. The finally seemed to untether themselves from Ariel and fall deep into the ocean below, leaving her sure and confident. She was going to speak to Nani today. No matter what. 

She looked up at the surfer who was still looking out towards the open ocean, searching for her mermaid friend. With one last look towards the beach, making sure that they truly were alone, Ariel crossed the final meters of ocean between her and Nani.

Ariel breached the surface of the water right next to Nani’s board slowly so as not to startle her. With only her head above the water, she looked up towards the surfer’s face.

Nani was looking directly at her. Her face was lit up like the sun and seemed to be glowing with joy. Nani was smiling with her entire face, eyes and nose crinkled, and cheeks flush. The only time Ariel had ever seen some one with joy that pure was every time Nani was surfed a huge wave. The joy on her face was unhidden, unwavering, and completely addicting.

“Ariel,” she said softly. Ariel could listen to Nani saying her name all day and all night. The way she said it was absolutely magical and filled Ariel’s heart with electricity. “I’m so glad you came.”

Ariel blushed, tucking her drenched hair behind her ear then looking back at Nani, a shy smile gracing her lips. “I always do.” 

Nani let out a happy chuckle, mirroring Ariel’s hair tuck and blush. For a moment, they sat in silence, neither one knowing quite what to say to each other. It was awkward and it was nervous, but they were both too excited to really care. Nani was finally with her mermaid and Ariel was finally with her human. 

“Oh!” Ariel exclaimed recapturing Nani’s full attention. “Are-are you okay? Yesterday with the storm and-”

“Oh that!” Nani interrupted. “Yeah. I’m fine. My sister took me to the doctor and she said I didn’t have any injuries. But, I guess… that’s all thanks to you.” With the last sentence, her voice grew soft. “You saved my life, Ariel. Thank you.”

Nani’s brown eyes were soft and twinkling and Ariel couldn’t help but stare up into them. “I’m just glad that you’re okay.” Ariel started to become lost in her eyes. “I don’t know what I would do if you got hurt.”

Ariel instantly regretted that statement. Her face flushed with embarrassment “I-uh-What I mean to say is- um…”

Nani flashed an amused, but still kind smile towards the mermaid. Even though Ariel was incredibly embarrassed, Nani’s expression made her feel at ease. Nani opened her mouth to speak before-

“Nani!”

A male voice called out from the beach. 

Nani’s smile vanished in an instant and he eyes grew wide with panic. She glanced at the mermaid and whispered with intensity “Hide!”

Ariel didn’t need to be told twice. While Nani was the exception, Ariel’s father’s words on the dangers of humans rung in her ears and she submerged herself quickly, but staying close enough to the surface to hear what was going on above.

“David?” Nani called.

“Nani, Jumba lit the attic on fire again!” called the male voice in return

“Again?!? Seriously? Right now?”

“Lilo’s still at hula practice so she’s okay, but you’ve gotta come help before it burns your house down again!”

“Fine!” Nani called back, much to Ariel’s disappointment “You go on ahead, just give me a minute!”

“Okay, but you’ve gotta hurry!”

After a moment’s hesitation, Ariel peeked her head above the water to see the human man running away from the beach. She looked at Nani who still wore a panicked expression upon her face. 

“Ariel. I am so sorry, but I have to go.” Nani said as she layed herself against her board to paddle to the surface.

“No, it’s alright.” Ariel responded “I understand.” That wasn’t quite true. Ariel still wasn’t entirely sure what a fire was or why it (what’s the word) burned, but she understood that it must be important enough to Nani. 

Ariel started to turn towards the open ocean before Nani reached out and gently, but intently grasped her hand.

“Promise me you’ll come back tomorrow?”

Ariel turned to lock eyes with the surfer once more. Nani’s eyes were earnest, but had an underlying glimmer of hope, almost desperately asking Ariel to say yes.

Ariel smiled and nodded. “I promise.” Without another word, she pulled herself from Nani’s grasp and delved into the deep waters below, only wishing that tomorrow could only come faster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Funny how these ladies always seem to be interrupted at the worst moments ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> As always, please let me know what you thought and if you have anything you would change. This chapter was especially hard so if there is anything you think I could have done better, please let me know :)


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